13 Month Old Won't Eat Solid Food! HELP!!!!!

Updated on
August 12, 2010

C.T.
asks from
Orange Park, FL
on December 01, 2008

23
answers

Hi,

I am having a huge problem with getting my gorgeous 13 month old daughter to eat solid food. I have tried everything..you name it! She has no interest in it. I sit her in her high chair with her food in her own little plate and she either cries or throws it on the floor. She does eat the stuff that is bad for her, though..French fries, cookies, However I don't really give that type of food to her because I don't want her developing bad eating habits. I don't know what to do!! How can I get her to eat. I am trying to wean her off her formula too, but of course it's hard because that seems to be her main source of nutrition. Please help!!!!

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D.R.

answers from
Fort Walton Beach
on
December 02, 2008

Hi C.
My son did that too, all I did was start putting the formula in baby cereal and for taste add applesauce or bannanas. He loved it so much he never realized we had gotten rid of the bottle or that not long after he started I changed the formula for whole milk.
I hope it works for you too.

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B.H.

answers from
Los Angeles
on
December 02, 2008

With no more info than what you have given this is all I have. No formula. She needs to be on solid food. You need to be the a parent and make the better decisions for her. SHe doesn't get to decide what is right for her, you do.

I am a family nutrition coach. I help families get thier kids on the right track with proper nutrition. My consultation is free. Want to chat?

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D.N.

answers from
Tallahassee
on
December 02, 2008

C. -

I quickly glanced at the other responses and think that this might be a technique you haven't heard yet. You know trying new things can be scary at first. But at this age their curiosity often gets the better of them. Try this - Place several bowls of food that you deem appropriate for her at her age on the table. I would vary the color, texture, etc. And then sit down at the table with her on your lap. Casually play with her, maybe looking at books or some other toy while YOU snack, trying different foods. The trick is that you don't specifically offer the food to her but instead eat as if it is okay whether she tries it or not. I bet you that within five minutes she will want to try something that you are having. My son still at three would prefer to have his yogurt when I am having yogurt. And when he goes to get a cheese stick out of the fridge he always brings me one too (whether I want it or not). I think this does two things. It makes them curious and interested in trying new things while at the same time feeling safe enough to do it. And it gives them the sense of sharing an adventure with you.

You can always switch to the formal high chair with a plate of food mode when she is more comfortable with the idea of eating. My really good friend had a very hard time getting her child at that age to eat solids -- Last time I checked 3 year old Morrison is a great eater. They will all learn eventually - and enjoy it.

Hope it helps,
D.

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A.B.

answers from
Jacksonville
on
December 02, 2008

Click on my name, A. B and read some of my other posts about toddlers and food. I have some great ideas. For now, stop the junk food completely to get those preferences off her taste buds. Offer lots of variety and limit her milk intake. She doesn't need formula, only breastmilk twice a day if you are still nursing. Other than that, give her ice water in a sippy cup and offer her food often. Don't give in, she'll get hungry. She may decide she is only going to eat cherrios or bananas or something similar, so offer those things in VERY small amounts, so at least she starts eating, but if shes hungry, she will try other things. You can give her yogurt to eat herself. Not the kid kind, get the regular organic plain with chopped fruit.

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V.W.

answers from
Jacksonville
on
December 01, 2008

When did you begin offering solids to her?
I would check with your pediatrician. I know that there is a window of time to begin offering solids and after that time, they are harder to get them to accept solid food.
If she eats fries and cookies, though.... it sounds more like a power struggle. She should be through with formula I think too, right?

Maybe switch to milk, then offer her 3 squares plus 2 snacks. If she doesn't eat it, just remove it at the end of the "meal". Yes, she will protest and throw it on the floor. But don't pick it up and give it back to her at that point. Remove it. Take her down from her chair. The end. BUT NO SNACKS. Nothing but water until the next "meal" time or designated snack time. Then behave normally, (no anger, no threats, no power talks)... serve her the meal. When she throws it on the floor (if you are also eating a meal) Leave it there. You finish eating your meal. Then when you are through, clean up her plate (and probably her) and get her down. No snacks until the next meal or designated snack time. Etc. After about a day, she will eat what you serve her. She will not starve herself. She might attempt it, but it won't last but a day. She will get hungry and eat.
But if you give in and give her little snacks of junk because you feel guilty or sorry for her.. then she wins the food war. Tread carefully.
You might offer to help her eat (utensils etc) or if she prefers no help, then let her feed herself. Just don't turn THAT part into a power issue. The object is to train her to eat her meals and not just junk. And it is training (assuming her pediatrician says everything else is okay).
If you want to mix up what you offer her that might be an approach to try also. Bananas that she can hold herself, etc.
Stay strong!

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C.B.

answers from
New York
on
December 02, 2008

C., after 12 months of age, there is no reason to continue using formula. You can switch her to whole cow's milk...unless your doctor has advised you otherwise but most babies can go to cow's milk after their 1st birthday. You say she will eat "bad foods" but you don't give her that type of food so I must question where is she getting that food if not from you? It's typical for babies to gravitate towards things sweet as opposed to vegetables and chicken nuggets which are not necessarily bad if they are not fried and processed chicken. It sounds to me like she's already developed a taste for certain things...the things you don't want her to have so my advice would be to stop giving them to her. I'm assuming her teeth are in and she is capable of chewing food so I would just keep offering different things. For breakfast,you could give her Farina/Cream of Wheat, oatmeal ( not the the instant variety that is loaded with sugar), pancakes, french toast...you could introduce a scrambled egg with a little ketchup. For lunch, you could offer her yogurt, cut up cheese (or cheese sticks), Spaghettios, applesauce, grilled cheese sandwich pressed very thin (and use a pizza cutter to cut the bread into very small squares...works like a charm!). For snack, you could offer her crackers with jelly spread lightly on top, or I buy Dole fruit cups and the fruit is already diced and soft...you could dice it smaller if they seem too chuncky for her mouth and for dinner, if you don't own a baby food mill, then I would recommend you get one. Or use a food processor and mill or process whatever you typically make for dinner, feed it to your daughter. You may have to add water (or chicken broth) to make the consistency of the milled food thinner for her if it's too dry or thick.
Be patient and don't give up. Many babies go through a picky eating phase and it's quite normal. Unless she isn't gaining weight, I would not worry. Just keep offering food and even though to you it seems she isn't eating, even if she's taking a bite here and there throughout the day, you know she's eating something.

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M.C.

answers from
Daytona Beach
on
December 02, 2008

Aren't babies fun! :-)

Well - I had one "fussy" eater... She may cry some while she learns that doesn't "work" to get her what she wants... (or - she will learn it "does work" and you do NOT want to go there!!!)

You do not need to be angry with her for being frustrated...(I had to learn to disconnect my power control buttons on my ego before I was able to deal with this effectively - and - good luck with that...)

Good eating habits are easier than you may think: kids will eat when they are hungry enough (unless their appetites are "broken" and that is realy rather rare). So: no "bad" stuff. None. (You DO have control over THAT. No control over her reactions. No control over whether she eats or not. But - control over what is offered to be eaten? YES.)

Offer what she likes that is good for her: (applesauce? pears? cottage cheese? raisens? ANYTHING???? Find it because you want to USE it...) My son would eat applesauce. So: I started with mostly applesauce and mixed in stuff he hated (meat, veggies, etc...one at a time, of course)... Then gradually I increased the ratio of the stuff he wouldn't touch until it was more of the stuff he "used to" refuse but was now getting... until - one day - whether he was thrilled or not - he was EATING the formerly rejected food... He STILL would rather have the applesauce... but - he would EAT the lamb, pork, spinach... whatever...

He is 35 and STILL a bit of a picky eater... BUT - he DOES know a healthy diet when he sees it and knows what he OUGHT to eat. We can't do much better than that. I DID manage to disconnect that power control button on my ego :-)

Good luck! Oh... not to worry so much: kids seldom really starve - unless you let her make it into a power struggle... it's a game you do not want to play... you can't and shouldn't try to make her eat... you can and should take responsibility for offering healthy choices and being calm while she learns those are the choices (and make sure no one else who feeds her is sneaking in junk food when you aren't looking!) Heck - you can even be sympathetic to her unhappiness while she learns to choose from what is offered. (Real sympathy, not faked... and - real sympathy would NOT eat a French Fry in front of her while offering HER a turnip! EAT what you are offering HER! SHOW her that it IS both good for her and good for YOU! If you came to my house to eat and I ate one thing, but offered you something else, you'd be a tad suspicious of what I was offering you, right?)

Good luck!

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S.S.

answers from
Miami
on
December 02, 2008

she will eat solids when she is ready, we all develop so differently.
Keep offering , occassionally , try not to force it, she knows!!!!Make sure she is happy and HUNGRY.
try giving her more healthy things with the texture /look of cookies and or ff.
Praise her when and while she even sits still to try, or if she does actully take a small piece.
this will help her feel good about what she is doing.

good luck!

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P.H.

answers from
Tallahassee
on
December 02, 2008

One thing that we did was make sure that we at with our son. After all eating meals is a social event too and who wants to just be stared at while they are eating? Plus if your daughter consistently sees you eating healthy foods, she will be more likely to try them. This will also give you oppurtunities to offer her whatever you are eating. If she eats it fine, if not, don't make a fuss about it. My son is not a picky eater at all and he has been eating with us since he was 5 mths old. I try to make several different foods at each meal ( a meat, starch, 2 veggies and a salad)to give choices and chances to try new things. Also, limit snacks to 2-3 per day so she doesn't fill up on them when she should be eating meals.

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H.M.

answers from
Boca Raton
on
December 02, 2008

Hi C.,

Well, starting with formula. My pediatrician said you need to go cold turkey. Put all the bottles away and just use sippy cups. Trust me it's not easy and takes about a week to get through. She was waking up at 4am and 5am and has always been a good sleeper.

So instead of the morning bottle I feed her breakfast. First thing. We have banana, cheerios, and sometimes oatmeal with raspberry jelly or a yo baby yogurt and milk. Lunch fruit, try Dr. Praegers veggie burgers. You put them in the toaster, they get a little crispy and it has veggies in them. Dinner is fickle. My child has always been a great eater, but now (12 1/2 months old) not every meal is great. Some nights she doesn't even want dinner. You just do the best you can. I try to make eating fun and sell it. Lots of praise, dancing in the kitchen and when she is done she is done.

At this age I feel like she has a lot going on, trying to stand and walk, trying to talk, playing. I think eating somedays gets in their way. I gave a lot of snacks throughout the day until she got used to not having the bottle. I think she grazed for a week.

Good luck. Stay positive. You will get through it and she'll be fine. I hope this helps somehwhat.

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B.C.

answers from
Ocala
on
December 02, 2008

ok so she likes french fries (well give them to her but bake them )instead of frting them they will get firm if you cook them long enough.also get sweet potatoes and cut them like french fries and deep fry them and see if she will eat them.also some people have told me they get that yucca plant and peel it and cut it to look like a fry and cook it for french fries a friend of mine does this for her nieces and said they can not tell much difference in them and french fries.
Yucca, also known as manioc or cassava, is a white, starchy tropical vegetable that was originally grown by the indigenous peoples who resided in the countries now known as Columbia, Venezuela, and Brazil. These people used yucca as a dietary staple, typically milling the yucca into flour or making a paste from it.
Because yucca is a versatile vegetable, its usage has spread to many non-Latin populations. For example, 10.5 million lbs. of yucca were sold last year in the United States alone. Additionally, every day more people are becoming aware of its use in cooking. This is because it can easily be substituted for potatoes in soups and stews and it contains a high amount of vitamin C and carbohydrates. Yucca is also a good source of dietary fiber and contains approximately 120 calories per 3.5-ounce serving.

You can identify fresh yucca by its thick, dark brown skin that resembles a tree's bark. Yucca found in many stores is typically sized from 9 to 15 inches in length, although it can grow much larger. To use fresh yucca, peel away the skin using a sharp knife to expose its white flesh. This flesh can then be cut into pieces for boiling, frying, or baking purposes. When cooked, yucca contains a tough, string-like fiber throughout its middle section. This string is too hard to be eaten and can be easily removed from the cooked yucca by stripping it away from the softer flesh.

try little things like that. or will she eat speghetti o's ?chicken and dumplings?

hope something on here helps you out. sorry i have no other ideas. but you need to get her off that formula start with regular milk and water mixed and continue till you get up to all milk.alot of kids that still take their formula all the time will not eat regular food so well.if it continues talk to her pedatrician.

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A.G.

answers from
Mayaguez
on
December 02, 2008

My son only ate hot dogs or chicken for months.But he would also eat green beans and corn. He slowwwwly started accepting other stuff. Maybe she'll be interested if it is in your plate. Put an amount there and feed her from it. Don't rush her, she'll get there. Good luck.

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D.G.

answers from
Jacksonville
on
December 02, 2008

Both of my girls did the same thing around that age. They are learning so much new stuff that they don't want to stop and eat. You can try just giving her several small healthy snacks through the day, don't feed her formula before her meal, wait until after. I had to just put like 2 or 3 pieces at a time on my girls' tray so they wouldn't throw it all on the floor. A whole meal in front of them seems to overwhelm them. Maybe just try one type of food at each setting until you figure out what she likes. It gets better, it's just a phase and she won't starve, I promise :) Good luck!

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K.W.

answers from
Orlando
on
December 02, 2008

How many times are you giving her a bottle a day? At 13 months her main source of nutrition should be solid foods, and there is no need to really be giving her formula at all. Pediatricians will tell you to switch them to whole milk at 1 year--you are obviously close, but I think this may be your underlying problem.
And babies are funny, they will eat when they are hungry. So I suspect that she is getting full on formula and just not interested in other kinds of food because she's not all that hungry!
So I suggest cutting way back--if not completely on the formula/bottles. If she normally gets a bottle when she wakes up, give her breakfast instead...
Sit her down for 3 meals a day--same time. Give her a sippy cup of milk with each meal. And keep offering her those healthly choices--eggs, fruit, soft veggies, whole grain breads, etc. She will eat when she is hungry! Be patient too-there will be days when she just isn't hungry--whether it be she's not feeling well, teething or just not hungry.
Finally, GET THIS BOOK: Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter. It's the end all be all with feeding babies and kids--you are obviously through the first year, but there is great information on feeding toddlers, nutrition and even some great food ideas.
I also got a couple of toddler cook books when my son was that age that helped with ideas on getting him to eat new foods. :)

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Y.F.

answers from
Orlando
on
December 02, 2008

Hi I am a mom of 2 children. My son ate everything is sight from 4 months on. He is now 7. My daughter on the other hand would not eat any baby food (dispite my efforts and the fact that I tried EVERYTHING store bought and made at home baby food). I did not push the issue. I let her take her course. Kept given her the snacks she did like to eat. When I took her off the formula she would hardly still eat and mainly drank lots of milk. About 4 months ago (she is 17 months)that all changed and now she is eating us out of house and home. Just keep introducing foods to her. I learned that my daughter HATES anything pured and will not eat things like oatmeal. Find what kind of foods she likes and stick to eat and gradually introduce new things. If there is a day that she eats the same thing all day along with juice and milk, dont worry you are not harming her. As long as she is eating its ok. We may get bored seeing them eat the same things over and over again, but they are truly fine. Hope it works for you and remember dont get stressed about this just have FUN!

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T.F.

answers from
Orlando
on
December 01, 2008

I don't think 3 meals plus 2 snacks is appropriate for toddlers-- especially one who has not started eating solids. Toddlers are grazers-- they have small bellies and they are experimenting with new tastes and textures and should be offered healthy choices and the opportunity to eat when they are hungry. I wonder what you mean that you've tried everything. My 3rd child would NOT eat baby food-- but he would eat teeny tiny pieces of whatever the rest of the family was eating. He also prefered food that he could hold in his hand himself like banana, cheese sticks, rolled up ham, etc. You have to watch for choking until she gets used to not biting off bites that are too big. As for the formula, please seek advice from your pediatrician -- there is toddler formula, vitamin suppliments, Pediasure, or other options he may suggest to suppliment her diet---- or he may just suggest you put her on whole milk and her appetite will grow once she is off formula and she'll be more likely to want more solid foods

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H.W.

answers from
Tallahassee
on
December 02, 2008

Hi C.,

I totally understand your frustration! Although my daughter is younger (9 months), we've gone through the same issues with introducing solids. She absolutely won't open her mouth for a spoon and she gags when she tries to feed herself....sigh! You've gotten lots of good advice from the other mommies so the only thing I would reinforce is to keep trying. Make meal times fun (I sing A LOT) and try not to force her. She'll come around when she's ready.

We just discovered last week that my daughter LOVES yogurt! We mix different fruits in to get her to experience other tastes. Every baby is different :) Good luck!

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D.G.

answers from
Boca Raton
on
December 02, 2008

Hi C.- OK. First off, people always think food is too flavorful or spicy for children and give them very bland food. That's why they love candy and junk food, it's also loaded with flavor. Is it possible the food could be boring her. My sister's daughter never ate anything for her, she would come to my house and eat just about anything I gave her because I gave her what we ate. Everything from spicy chicken cacciatore to Hawaiian Kielbasa. My sister always gave her plain chicken, plain veggies. The poor kid was dying for a little salt and some flavor. Same with my son. He ate everything we did from the moment he could. He eats EVERYTHING. Of course you have to be more aware of salt in the food, etc. That's one thought. The second is a texture issue. Some babies have problems adjusting to such a big change. New flavors, new textures... I bought a hand held smoothie maker for about $20. I put just about anything in a cup, add a little water and puree my way to baby food. My daughter, who is 6 months, has already had chick pea/chicken soup, turkey pot pie, morroccan short ribs, too many veggies to count,etc. You can literally puree anything. Everything comes out the consistency of baby food, but I'm getting her interested in the flavor first. Try that, maybe it will help. Try not to worry, they somehow manage to survive. Even if they spend the first ten years eating nothing but chicken nuggets, somehow they do survive. Good luck.

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M.M.

answers from
Fort Walton Beach
on
December 04, 2008

Although french fries and cookies may not be as nutritious, they can provide your child with fats and sugars (which are also needed in a child's diet). FOR THE TIME BEING,it may be helpful to allow her to eat these foods and see that she consumes lots of water (to balance the non-nutritional parts). In so doing she will develop a taste for other solids and it will be easier to get her to eat a variety of other foods. In the long run,if you continue to offer "good" foods, this approach will not encourage your daughter to develop bad eating habits.

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M.S.

answers from
Miami
on
December 01, 2008

I'm not sure what you mean by "solid food", but my advice might help regardless. I have 3 kids and each one has been different. If they like milk/formula and not solids offer the food BEFORE they get milk/formula. My middle child wouldn't even look at food if she had milk first. Once she knew that she would not get milk without eating solids (took 3 days), it was easy! Good Luck.

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A.R.

answers from
Orlando
on
August 12, 2010

I am having the same problem with my son and he is now 14 months old. Goto www.nonofood.com to see some of the suggestions my therapist gave us.

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S.C.

answers from
Daytona Beach
on
December 02, 2008

Hi, my daughter was the same way but I found that she really liked feeding herseld even with a spoon even tho only have of it got in her mouth. My daughter loved eating yogurt with a spoon and they also have those yogurt sticks and I would freeze them and she thought they were a treat. My little girl also loved to feed herself macaroni and I used to cut up green beans and mix it together with a little butter and put it on her highchair. Have you tried any of the gerber graduates they have a spinach ravioli that she seemed to like also. I used slice apples like french fries also. My daughter really never got into baby food after she realized there were better things out there. Also does she like ketchup? My kids love ketchup and will about anything they can dip in ketchup even scrambled eggs. Also if you dont use a plate then she cant throw it-I just used to put it on her highchair tray and make sure I kept in very clean. Good Luck!! S.

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M.H.

answers from
Fort Walton Beach
on
December 01, 2008

Hi C.,

When you say you have tried everything, do you mean different foods or different ways to make her eat? Avocado is almost a perfect food and I have never seen a baby turn it down. Sweet potatoes have a lot of necessary fiber and most babies like those as well...Almond milk is tasty and might be a way to get her off the formula. She won't get as full from it as formula and may want to eat more solids.

Also, if she's throwing the food on the floor I think you might want to try feeding her instead of giving her her own plate. She has plenty of time to learn how to feed herself. You are right not to give her french fries and cookies. Simple sugars can cause a lot of problems not just now but later in life. Just a few thoughts!